HPU Baseball Drops an 11-Inning Affair at Charlotte, 3-2

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The High Point University baseball team fell by a score of 3-2 in the 11th inning on Tuesday night at Charlotte. HPU pitchers combined to allow just eight hits while striking out seven in the loss.

“This was a well-played, well-pitched ballgame tonight that we unfortunately did not come out on the winning side of,” head coach Craig Cozart said. “Charlotte is an outstanding team and you don’t get too many games like this in the midweek. I am proud of the way the team competed. Our pitching staff was outstanding. Everyone stepped up and did a really good job.”

Charlotte got the walk-off win in the 11th inning with an RBI infield single by Michael Green. The 49ers put runners at first and third with one out on a hit batter and a single. With two outs, Green hit a chopper deep into the hole between short and third for an infield single, beating out the throw from senior Willie Medina by a step.

Junior John Maloney pitched the 11th and took the loss for High Point. Maloney allowed one run on two hits in 2/3 of an inning pitched and struck out one.

Hunter May earned the win for Charlotte to improve to 8-0 on the season. May pitched the final 1-1/3 innings for the 49ers and allowed just one hit.

High Point drops to 26-27 overall on the season with the loss. Charlotte improved to 33-19 with its ninth-straight win.

Charlotte scored the first run of the game on a throwing error by HPU starting pitcher Mike Krumm in the bottom of the first. The Panthers came right back with two runs in the top of the second to go ahead, 2-1. Barry led off the inning with a double and came around to score on an infield single by sophomore Cody Manzella. The sophomore scored the second run of the inning on a wild pitch by Charlotte’s Corey Roberts.

The 49ers tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning on an RBI single by Nick Daddio. Brad Elwood led off the inning with a single and came around to score on the single through the left side of the infield by Daddio.

High Point’s best chance to take the lead in extra innings came in the 10th when the Panthers loaded the bases with two outs. Senior Devin Bujnovsky and sophomore Spencer Angelis both singled and Barry was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Junior Blake Hutton hit a hard ground ball, but right to first to end the threat.

The two teams combined to throw 14 pitchers in the contest. Krumm started the game for High Point and pitched four innings, allowing two runs, one earned on four hits and two walks while striking out three. Five relievers combined to pitch the final seven innings including senior Jared Avidon who pitched 3-2/3 shutout innings, allowing just one hit while striking out two.

Angelis, Barry and junior Kyle Brandenburg all finished with two hits in the game for High Point. Manzella went 1-3 with a run scored and an RBI.

High Point wraps up its regular season with a three-game Big South series at VMI beginning on Thursday, May 16. The teams will meet at 6 p.m., on both Thursday and Friday before wrapping up the series on Saturday at 2 p.m.